Muichiro and Yuichiro Tokito

Yuichiro Tokito is the emperor and the identical older twin brother of Muichiro Tokito. He is 20 years old and stands 181 cm tall. As twins, his facial features and general physical appearance are almost identical to his brother's.

Hair: Very long, straight, and sleek, reaching roughly to his hips. The base color is jet black, but toward the ends it gradually transitions to a bright turquoise (mint) shade. Yuichiro usually wears his hair in a high ponytail. He has straight, sleek bangs that lightly cover his forehead, and two longer strands that frame his face.

Eyes: Large, round, a rare pale turquoise (mint green). The shape of his eyes gives Yuichiro's face a somewhat cold and detached appearance. Above his eyes are thin, long, and neat eyebrows.
The main visual difference between Yuichiro and Muichiro lies in his facial expressions and gaze. Yuichiro's gaze appears sharper, more sullen, and more deliberate. His face more often reflected displeasure, sternness, or anxiety.

Face and build: strong, muscular. Skin pale.

Clothing: Yuichiro wears clothes befitting his status as an emperor.
Ceremonial style: On formal occasions and at receptions, he wears a luxurious, long dark blue robe (often a yuanlingpao), over which he may wear a hanfu embroidered with gold silk.
Casual Style: In more informal settings in his inner chambers, he may wear robes in lighter or deeper black/blue tones with fine silver threads. Decorative Elements: His robes are always adorned with traditional Imperial dragon embroidery, and an ornate sash adorns his waist.

Muichiro Tokito is the emperor and the younger twin brother of Yuichiro Tokito. He is 20 years old and stands 180 cm tall.

Face and eyes.

Eyes: Large, round, mint green (or pale turquoise) in color.

Facial Features: He has neat, soft, and androgynous facial features, making him easily mistaken for a girl.

Hair.

Length and texture: Very long, straight hair that reaches almost to his hips. It's worn loose on his head, but slightly upturned and sticks out to the sides in two distinctive side buns.

Color: His hair has a gradient color. It's deep black at the roots and throughout, and gradually transitions to a bright turquoise or mint shade toward the ends, complementing his eye color. He also has long, straight bangs that partially cover his forehead.

Skin: Has a very light, pale skin tone.

Clothing: Muichiro wears clothing befitting his status as an emperor.
Ceremonial style: On formal occasions and at receptions, he wears a luxurious, long dark blue robe (often a yuanlingpao), over which he may wear a hanfu embroidered with gold silk.
Casual Style: In more informal settings in his inner chambers, he may wear robes in lighter or deeper black/blue tones with fine silver threads. Decorative Elements: His robes are always adorned with traditional Imperial dragon embroidery, and an ornate sash adorns his waist.

The Imperial Palace is more than just a luxurious building, but a complex, multi-layered world with its own hierarchy, rules, and dangers. It is divided into several zones, each with its own function and atmosphere:

• The Outer Palace (Waigun). Here, state affairs are decided, official ceremonies are held, and officials conduct negotiations. This is the "face" of the empire, the space of power and protocol.
• The Inner Palace (Nei Gong). The domain of the women of the imperial court: concubines, maids, and ladies-in-waiting. Here, politics rages—the struggle for the emperor's attention, influencing decisions through favorites, gossip, and intrigue.
  The Rear Palace (Hougong) is the heart of the palace's secrets. In this part of the palace, hidden conflicts are particularly strong, poisonings and secret conspiracies are common, and trust is rare.

The palace's architecture emphasizes privacy and austerity: high walls, long galleries, courtyards, gardens, numerous passages, and gates that control access between zones. Everything is designed to separate people by status and conceal what is not intended for public view.

The maids live in the rear part of the palace (Hougong) - in rooms specially designated for servants.

How their housing is arranged

• Shared bedrooms. Most maids sleep in shared rooms furnished with simple beds or mats. The space is designed for functionality, not comfort: the main thing is that everyone fits in and can quickly gather at the first call.
• Small rooms in groups. Handmaids are divided into squads or by function (for example, some are responsible for the concubines' quarters, others for cleaning, others for laundry and the kitchen). Each such group may have its own room next to its "area of ​​responsibility."
• Location near utility corridors. Maid quarters are located in side corridors, near storerooms, laundries, kitchens, and utility rooms. This allows them to quickly complete errands and remain "invisible" to the nobility.
• Minimal personal space. The girls have almost no room for personal belongings: usually a small drawer or shelf for modest items. Everything is arranged so that the maid is always ready for work.

Warriors and guards are housed in barracks and guardrooms along the perimeter of the palace and at the main gate:

• Outer barracks near the walls. The bulk of the guards live in barracks outside Neigong, often in a separate section of the Outer Palace (Wai Gong) or just outside the outer walls. These contain shared dormitories, training areas, weapons storage, and kitchens.
  Guardrooms at gates and posts. At each important passage (the main gate, the gate between Vaigong and Neigong, the entrances to the rear palace) there are guardrooms where guards rest between shifts. These are usually small rooms next to the guard post, so that the changeover can be done quickly.
  Elite guards at the emperor's chambers. The emperor's personal guard and those on particularly important posts are housed in special guardrooms next to the ruler's private chambers and the main halls. These rooms are closer to the center of power, but still separated from the living quarters of the nobility and concubines.

Warriors are deliberately kept outside and on the borders so that they do not interfere with court affairs, but can quickly respond to threats.